Star-Crossed
by Autobot-Tiff
Summary: Smokescreen has been feeling very homesick lately, and the only thing that makes him feel better is leaving the base at night to go stargazing. When Optimus confronts him, he reminds him that being here on Earth is not so bad...in his own special way. Requested by Katherine10.


**Transformers Prime belongs to Hasbro.**

**Requested by Katherine10. This was adorable to write! Thank you for the idea! This story's for you! Hope u like!**

**Only warnings in here are adorable tickly fluffs. Lots of it. *giggles***

**Star-Crossed**

The day ended, and now the curtain of night was starting to drape over Jasper, Nevada. It was time for everyone to go to sleep, including the Autobots. After a long day of patrol, the Autobots couldn't wait to rest on their comfortable recharging berths.

As everyone already headed off into recharge, there was one who didn't. The Autobots' newest recruit, Smokescreen, had trouble recharging over the past few days. He would often sneak out late at night, while everyone was recharging, and drive off to a nearby plateau. There, he would sit down and enjoy the night sky display until nearly dawn. He wouldn't head back to base until sunrise.

Smokescreen didn't mention his secret night outs to the others—especially Optimus—because he didn't want to get caught. This was a very personal matter to him, and he didn't really want to talk about it with anyone. He mostly didn't want Optimus to find out because he was afraid he would subtract him from the team if he knew he was sneaking out at night.

At least, he _thought _Optimus didn't know about his nighttime outings. What Smokescreen didn't know was that Optimus knew every little thing that happened inside the base, even if someone was trying to hide if from him.

And now tonight was one of those nights. The time was: 1:35 in the morning. While everyone was recharging peacefully, Smokescreen readied himself to sneak out again. He very quietly slid his berthroom door open, and peeked outside. The hallways were completely silent and empty. He glanced both ways before convincing himself it was clear to go.

Smokescreen carefully tiptoed down the hallway. He made his way to the back of the base, where there was an emergency exit. That way, he wouldn't make so much noise using the ground bridge.

When he was finally outside, he transformed and drove off to the plateau. He sat at the very top, admiring the beautiful night sky. It was a clear night, so Smokescreen was able to see many stars, constellations, and even part of the Milky Way. But he was quickly saddened as he remembered why he came here.

Lately, Smokescreen was missing his home planet Cybertron. Now Earth was his new home, but...it wasn't the same. Here on this new planet, he had to hide himself from the humans and pretend he was just a normal machine.

Since Smokescreen was feeling so homesick, he thought that maybe stargazing would help calm him down. It did help a little, but he still didn't feel completely happy when he finally returned to the base.

Hugging his knees, he glanced at the star littered sky and sighed sadly. "I miss home...I just want to go home."

Smokescreen spent the rest of the night stargazing, enjoying the night sky display and occasional shooting stars that passed by. He eventually lost track of the time, and panicked when he saw the sun start to rise over the horizon.

He quickly transformed and drove back to base. After spending nearly the whole night out stargazing, Smokescreen was completely exhausted when he got back. Luckily, since he was new to the team, he wasn't ready for missions with the Autobots so he was allowed to sleep late, and stay in the whole day at base. Which was a good thing since he didn't have to worry about waking up early after his night out.

Usually, stargazing would make Smokescreen feel better and less homesick, but this time it didn't. For some reason, it made him feel even more lonely. Just the feeling of being on this new planet made him feel queasy and a little sick to his fuel tank.

Laying down on his berth, Smokescreen rubbed his tummy as he suddenly felt queasy again. He hoped he would adjust to this new planet soon. Feeling so tired from staying out, Smokescreen right away feel asleep.

**The next day**

That day, Smokescreen was allowed to go on patrol with Optimus and the Autobots, but he didn't want to. He told Optimus he wasn't feeling very well, and thus got the day to sleep in.

As everyone else continued their daily routines, Optimus decided to talk to Smokescreen alone. He could sense something was not right about the youngling. Not to mention all the many times he snuck out night, only to return close to dawn. Optimus was starting to get suspicious of him as to why he was constantly leaving the base at night.

While Smokescreen was resting in his room, Optimus came in and approached his berth. "Optimus?" He asked, sitting up. "What brings you here?"

The leader sat down next to him. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Okay, what is it?"

"I have noticed that you've been leaving the base late at night, and not returning until nearly morning. Would you like to tell me why?"

Smokescreen shifted nervously on the berth. "Um...w-what do you mean?"

"Smokescreen, I know you've been sneaking out of the base every night. I just want to know why."

The youngling lowered his helm. He knew there was no point in hiding it, or pretending to not know. Optimus already knew. "I...I don't wanna talk about it," he said quietly.

Optimus placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Smokescreen, I need to know. You can't just leave this base whenever you feel like it, especially at night. You are putting yourself and the team at risk."

Smokescreen stared down at his lap. He knew of the risks of leaving the base late at night, but he had his own reasons. He wanted to tell Optimus the truth, but he was afraid of how he would react. He thought his leader would be angry at him.

"Sorry about that..."

"May I ask why you are leaving the base every night?"

Smokescreen turned his helm away. "Optimus...I really don't wanna talk about it."

"Why not? If something is bothering you, you can tell me so I can help you."

"N-No, it's okay!" Smokescreen said quickly. "I'm fine...really. It's just...I've been having a little trouble adjusting to this new planet, you know? But I-I'm okay."

Optimus could sense the sadness and hesitation in the youngling's voice. He knew what this was because he had seen it with his other Autobots when they first arrived on Earth. "I see...Smokescreen, have you been feeling homesick lately?"

"Um...n-no," Smokescreen answered nervously. After a few seconds, he said, "Why do you ask?"

"Because this is very common with my fellow Autobots," Prime said, wrapping an arm around him. "I know how much everyone misses home, and there are times where someone steers away from everyone because they miss Cybertron. Or sometimes it is just because they are having trouble adjusting to this new environment. Is that what's happening to you?"

"Um...no."

"Smokescreen, you don't have to lie to me."

"I-I'm not lying! I just don't wanna talk about it."

Optimus knew he didn't want to tell the truth. So he thought of another way to make him spill. He suddenly pulled Smokescreen in his lap, making the youngling's optics widen.

"O-Optimus?! What are you doing?"

"Just relax, Smokescreen," he said, resting a delicate hand on his stomach. "You refused to tell me what's bothering you, and now you have forced me to do something I really don't want to do."

"What?"

"This!"

Smokescreen burst out laughing as Optimus began tickling his belly. His stomach was very ticklish so his leader targeted him there first.

"AAAAAH! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! OPTIMUS, NO-HO-HO-HO! STO-HO-HO-HOP! STOP I-HI-HI-HI-HIT!"

"I would, little one but you still haven't confessed to me yet." Optimus wiggled his fingers faster against Smokescreen's tummy. Smokescreen jolted with a loud squeal.

"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAA! I-I SAID I DON'T WANNA TA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HALK ABOUT IT!"

Optimus shrugged. "Then I guess I have no choice but to continue." He moved his hands further upwards to tickle his arm joints. Smokescreen squeaked and clamped his arms down.

"OPTIMA-HA-HA-HA-HAS! STOP, PLEA-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEASE!" Smokescreen nearly fell off the berth and Prime's lap since he was squirming around so much. He eventually rolled off and landed on the floor face first, still giggling.

Feeling completely embarrassed, Smokescreen hid his face behind his thermal blanket. Prime chuckled at him. "Smokescreen, get up."

"No way!" he said under his blanket. "I know what you're going to do to me!"

"Then tell me what's wrong with you," Optimus said, reaching his hand down to gently stroke his back. "I need to know why you are constantly sneaking out of base every—"

"AAAAAAAAH!"

Smokescreen's sudden outburst scared Optimus so much, he quickly pulled his hand away. "Smokescreen? What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

The youngling shook his helm while giggling softly. He twitched and flapped his door wings. "Don't...Don't touch me there! It really tickles!"

"Where? Here?" Optimus stroked over his door wings. Smokescreen jolted with a funny-sounding squeak. This time, he pressed his door wings flat against his back to protect them.

"AAAAAAH! NO-HO-HO-HO!" Smokescreen rolled on his back. "No don't! M-My door wings are very sensitive!" He right away regretted saying that because Smokescreen just exposed his number one tickle spot.

"Oh really?" Prime's optics lit up. After accidentally brushing his fingers over his door wings, and seeing his reaction, Optimus knew he could use this knew discovery as an advantage. He knelt down next to the young bot.

Smokescreen started to panic. His optics widened in both terror and excitement. As much as he was terrified of Optimus about to tickle his super sensitive wings, he was actually waiting in excitement for it to happen! But because of the very ticklish wiring in his door wings, his fear got the best of him. "I mean...n-no they're not." He tried to hide the nervous look on his face.

"Smokescreen, don't lie to me," Optimus said while lightly stroking his tummy.

"I'm—ha-ha-ha—I'm not lying! Hee-hee-hee-hee!" As he rolled on his belly to protect it, he also exposed his door wings. He made that funny-sounding squeak when he felt Optimus' fingers stroke his door wings again.

The Prime was surprised at how ticklish Smokescreen was on his door wings. All he was doing was lightly stroking the wings and where they connected to his back, and Smokescreen was lost in a fit of squeaky, loud giggles.

"OPTIMUS! HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE! THAT TICKLES! HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE!"

"I can tell," Optimus said with a chuckle. "I never knew how sensitive your door wings were."

"AHA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! N-NEITHER DID I! HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE!"

"Well I would stop if you just tell me what is going on with you."

"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! B-BUT I DON'T—HEE-HEE-HEE—HAVE ANYHTING TO SA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAY!"

"Oh I see what this is," Optimus said. He sat on Smokescreen's legs, keeping him down on his chest. "You don't want to tell me anything. Well...I have other methods to make secretive bots like you talk."

Optimus suddenly leaned down to gently nip and nuzzle the sensitive wings. Smokescreen let out a shriek that almost made his leader go deaf. As much as he tried to protect his door wings by pressing them flat against his back, Smokescreen couldn't stop the gentle tickling nuzzles.

"AHA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! NO WAIT! D-D-DADDYYYYYY! STAAAA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAP!" Optimus' spark melted when he heard Smokescreen call him that unintentionally. It sounded so cute whenever he called him that while he was tickling him. And he didn't mind that he called him that because he knew the young bot looked up to him as a father figure.

Smokescreen began twisting and thrashing his legs around to free himself. But since he couldn't get his leader off of him, he started smacking the Prime behind him with his blanket.

Optimus suddenly yanked the blanket away from him, and pinned him down by his shoulders. "That was a mistake, little one. And now, you are really going to get it!"

Smokescreen screamed with laughter as Prime began blowing hard against his door wings. The youngling couldn't stand the vibrating feeling against his sensitive wings. No matter how much he twitched, flapped, or tried to protect them, he couldn't stop his leader from blowing those evil raspberries on his ticklish door wings. The wiring in his wings was _really _sensitive!

And Smokey was losing his mind as Optimus kept up the tickle torture. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! D-DA-HA-HA-HAD! DADDY NO! HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE! T-THAT TICKLES SO-HO-HO-HO MUCH! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAA!"

"If you want me to stop, then you will tell me what I need to know," Optimus said over his loud laughter. And while saying that, he also spoke into Smokescreen's door wings, making the youngling squeal and giggle more.

"OKAY, OKA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAY! I'LL GO AHEAD AND TA-HA-HA-HA-HALK! JUST...STOP TICKLING ME-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE!" Smokescreen was now sobbing with laughter. He became weaker and weaker by the second from laughing so hard. Now all he could do was lay there on the floor, twitching weakly.

Hearing that he was now willing to talk, and seeing how exhausted Smokescreen looked, Optimus stopped tickling his door wings and got off of him. But, just in case that was just a trick, he readied himself in case Smokescreen decided to make a run for it. Luckily, that didn't happen.

Smokescreen let out a huge sigh of relief as the tingling surges died down from his wings. But he still felt tiny aftershock tickles, so his wings were still twitching erratically. He slowly sat up while panting. "Okay...so the reason...I've been sneaking out...is 'cause...'cause I _am _homesick."

He lowered his helm with a sigh. "I know I should've told you or the others about this, but...I was afraid. I didn't want anyone to worry and think I can't handle myself. And I only sneak out so I can go stargazing by that plateau that's near the base. I like to sit there and just...relax. It's just something that I really enjoy, and it helps calm me down a little. I'm sorry I disobeyed your orders."

He was expecting a scolding from his leader, but that didn't happen. Instead, Optimus pulled him in a gentle hug and nuzzled his helm. "Little one, I understand you have trouble adjusting to this new planet, but know that we are always here to help you out on this new journey. Especially me."

He pulled away from him and looked at the youngling's optics. "And I know you have your own method of dealing with homesickness, but that was very dangerous what you did back there," he scolded gently. "I don't ever want to see you leaving the base at night. Not without my permission. I cannot let you run off...into the night."

Smokescreen lowered his helm. "I know...and I'm sorry. I just miss Cybertron, you know? I miss all the happy memories back there. And now this place just feels so...different. I'm kinda having a hard time adjusting to this new planet. Maybe it's 'cause I miss home."

When Optimus didn't say anything, Smokescreen looked up. Prime was looking up at the ceiling. Smokescreen looked up there too, but he didn't see anything.

"Um, Optimus? What are you looking at?"

"Oh, sorry," he said. "I was just...thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

Optimus gave him a playful smirk. "About how to make you enjoy this new planet!" And with that said, he began tickling his belly again. Smokescreen fell backwards, giggling loudly.

"AAAH! HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE! N-NO NOT AGAI-HA-HA-HA-HAIN! NO, PLEASE! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! DADDY-HEE-HEE-HEE! STOP IT! HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE!"

"I would, little one, I would. But I can sense that you're not happy on this planet, and Daddy just wants to make you smile again," Optimus cooed in the youngling's audio receptor.

"AHA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! B-BUT I _AM _HAPPY-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE!" Smokescreen tried to push Prime's hands away from his stomach. But now, he couldn't even save himself since Optimus sat on top of his legs. Just when Smokescreen thought it couldn't get any worse, it just did.

"You just said you weren't," Prime continued. "But it's alright because I'll help you get rid of your homesickness. Just relax and let yourself get lost in your sweet laughter." He switched from teasing strokes to spidering his digits all over his upper and lower stomach, each time making the young bot laugh harder and harder.

But right after, Optimus nearly made Smokescreen jump through the ceiling when he leaned down, pressed his lips against his tummy, and blew repeatedly.

"AAAAAAAAAAHA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! DADDYYYYYYYYY! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! STOP I-HI-HI-HI-HI-HI-HIT!" Smokescreen was squirming wildly in Prime's grip, trying to roll onto his belly to protect it.

Optimus paused for a moment. "Oh I see. You don't want me to tickle you here, correct?" Smokescreen nodded while giggling madly. He gasped when Optimus turned him over to lay on his stomach. "Then I guess I'll have to tickle you elsewhere!"

Smokescreen laughed and giggled his hardest as his door wings were attacked again. It didn't matter what he did to protect them—twitch or flap his wings wildly, or press them against his back—he still shrieked with adorable laughter at the ticklish shivers that circulated through his door wings.

"NONONONO—AAAAAAAAHA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAA! D-DADDY-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE! STAAAA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAP! NOT THERE PLEA-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEASE!"

"Then where do you want me to? Here?" Optimus rolled him on his back again, and blew on his tummy.

"AAAAAAAAAH! NO-HO-HO-HO-HO! JUST STOP I-HI-HI-HI-HI-HI-HIT! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! Y-YOU'RE GONNA MA-HA-HA-HA-HAKE ME DIE! HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE!"

The Prime chuckled at his response. "Alright then. I'll stop." He released him, and waited patiently for him to catch his breath.

After a few minutes, Smokescreen wearily sat up. "Oh Primus..! You...almost...made me die!"

"I was just trying to get you to feel less homesick. And if that did not help, I will have to make you go through all that again." To emphasize his point, Optimus teasingly wiggled his fingers towards Smokescreen's tummy.

Smokescreen instantly covered his stomach and giggled, shaking his helm. He squeaked when he felt Prime's fingers graze over his door wings. "Okay, okay! I'm fine! Honest! Thanks to you, I don't feel so lonely anymore. Thank you...I really appreciate it."

Optimus gently rubbed his helm. "Anytime, little one. And remember, whenever you feel alone or homesick, know that you have friends to support you every step of the way." He hugged him close. "Be patient, Smokescreen. One day, we will win this war and we will all have a home to go back to."

Smokescreen yawned. "I sure hope so..." He was so tired from all that intense tickling, that he soon fell asleep in Optimus' lap. The kindhearted leader gazed down with a warm smile at the sleeping youngling in his lap. He carefully stroked his helm and back, being careful to avoid his door wings since he knew how sensitive they were.

He very carefully lifted him up, and laid him back down on his berth. Optimus picked up his thermal blanket off the floor, and draped it over him. Smokescreen instantly snuggled under his blanket, enjoying the soft and warm feeling.

Then Optimus turned out the lights and quietly shut the door, leaving Smokescreen to peacefully recharge...

**THE END**


End file.
